Self-cleaning rake attachment



Aug. 9, 193-2. 9 F, EFER 137mm SELF CLEANING RAKE ATTACHMENT Filed Dec. 51. 1930 9 wrm'ya Patented Aug. 9, 1 9 32 V. i i

' umrsn stares retest; CHARLES F. REITER; F MINNEAPCLIS, MINNESIVJTAV' SELF- CLEAN ING RAKE momma Application filedDecem'cer3l, 1930. Serial No. 505,726.

This invention relates tolawn and garden Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the linerakes and more particularly to aself-cleaning 33 of Fig. 2, the dotted lines indicating the attachment for the same, which is adapted position of the rake handle andthe rake head to automatically remove leaves, grass orrubrelative to the stripper platewhenthe rake B bish from the teeth of a rake as the same has been raised from the ground as in the is being used. 7 7 normal use of the same between raking My present invention is an improvement strokes and j upon the structure disclosed in U. S. Letters Fig. 4: is a cross section taken 'on the line Patent No. 1,251,28d issued jointly to myself tl0f Fig; '2 showing a certain attachment 10 and Joseph N. Reiter on December th, means for mounting my improved device el 1917. upon the shank of a convention rake head.

It is an object of my present invention to In the drawing an embodiment of my inprovide an improved and more efiicient selfvention is illustrated as operatively'applied cleaning rake attachment which is strong and to a conventional garden rake having the durable and which maybe manufactured at usual rake head provided with the'slightly lower cost, which may be more universally uticurved teeth T and connected with the hanliZed in association with conventional lawn dle H by means of a widely bifurcated and garden rakes now marketed and which shank S. v V is resiliently and automatically operated by My improved'attachment includes an elonthe upward pressure of material collu" gated preferably integral stripper plate 5 7t in the rake teeth andthe subsequent rs. which may be conveniently constructed from of said pressure when the rake is raised from sheet metal having an tip-turned flange 5a at. the ground in the conventional use thereof. its forward edge and an upwardly inclined More specifically it is an object to provide relatively narrow flange 5?) at its rearward an improved device of the class described edge. Stripper plate 5 is provided with a 75 wherein a resiliently actuated stripper plate series of aligned apertures 50 corresponding is associated with the teeth of a rake and is to theteeth of the rake head and of somewhat.

provided with apertured portions closely 00- larger diameter than the largest cross secoperating with the teeth to remove accumutional area of said teeth. The series of aperlated rubbish therefrom and to prevent wedgtures 50 is disposed in a line adjacent the ing of material between the stripping elerearward edge of the plate and each aperments and the teeth. tured portion surrounds one of the teeth T Another object is to provide a self-cleanwith the longitudinaledges of the teeth dising rake attachment which will frictionally posed close to the rearward edges defining engage and smooth the dirt or ground behind the apertures when the rake head is removed the rake head and which has. an improved from the ground. V j

ftmction in scraping and assisting in the col- Stripper plate 5 is yieldingly supported lection of finely divided and small material from the shank of the'rake. head or if desired which has a tendency to pass through the from therake handle bymeans of a resilient teeth of a rake. yoke'which may comprise diverging arms-or 5" These and other objects and advantages of rods 6 constructed of spring metal; said arms the invention will be fully set forth in the extending over thetop of the rake head and following description made in connection being curved downwardly at their outer exwith the accompanying drawing in which like tremities which are secured suitably-to the reference characters refer to similar parts forward upstanding flange 5a of the stripper throughout the several views, and in which plate. The connection of the resilient arms 6 Fig. l is a perspective view of the forward with the stripper plate may be re-enforced portion of a rake having an embodiment of by means of angle strips or braces? having my invention associated therewith; base portions attached to the upper surface Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the same; of plate5 and upstanding portions connected with the medial portions of arms 6. Arms 6 are preferably bent from an integral resilient rod and diverge from a suitable attachment or clamping bracket comprising cooperating clamping plates 8 which are adapted to surround the shank of therake heador which may be constructed of suitable shape to engage the forward end of the rake handle. As illustrated, clamping plates 8 have turned flanges 8a which are adapted to surround and engage the bifurcated portion of the' rakel' head shank and a single clamping bolt 9 may be utilized to secure the platesin-operative position upon the shank, said bolt further engaging and retaining the angular end 'Of the integral yoke formed by resihent arms 6.

: outer portions of I arms 6' with the upper longitudinal edge or back of the rake head. In normal operation, when the rake is engaged with the ground the stripper plate is raised, frictionally scraping. the ground in the raking movement and placing tension upon the resilient ams 6, Materialasuch as leaves, grass or rubbish wh-ich collects upon the working teeth of the rake is disposed below thestripper plate and when the rake is raisedfifrom engagement with the ground to placethe teeth for the next raklng movement the tensioned resilient arms 6 slight-l aided b the effect o ravit upon the weight n x g Q "l wardly, the apertured portions scraping and of the stripper plate, moves the plate down forcing outwardly and downwardly all ma-v terial collectedupon the teeth.

It will be seen that due to the factthat in my improved device an integral substantially flat plate is utilized rather than teeth or sinuously curved wire for removing collected material, there will be no tendency for the collected material to wedge between the teeth and the stripper element.

' It will further be seen that the unrecessed forwardly projecting portionfof my stripper plate 5 in the operation of the rake frictionallyscrapes the ground and in garden use will smooth the dirtand break up small clods, while in use upon lawns it will scrape small material or articles such as acorns and small twigs in the desired direction of'the material collected. I contemplatethe use of my rake as an efficient means for the collection of acorns and the like b'y'providing a downturned element or toothed flange at the forward longitudinal edge of plate 5.

My improved structure is strongand durable, cannot be easily bent out of shape and can be manufactured at very low cost. 7

'tions of said resilient arms, said braces being It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, proportions and arrangement .of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention, which, generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above setforth, and in the novel parts andcombinations ofparts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is 7 1. An automatic cleaning attachment for a rake comprising an elongated substantially fiat 'stripper'plate constructed of sheet material and having a series of substantially circular recesses disposed adjacent the inner longitudinal edge thereof for accommodating the rake'teeth, said plate being disposed in a planeextending at an angle to the rake teeth with its outer longitudinal edge disposed some distance outwardly of the rake and provided with an upturned longitudinal flange, a pair ofresilient' arms disposed above the rakehead and having downwardly'tu'rned outer ends secured tosaid flange, means for securing the inner ends of said arms to the rake and a pair of downwardly extending rigid braces for securing theinner longitu dinal edge of said plate to intermediate pordisposed inwardly of-the rake teeth.

2.111 combination with a rake having the usual toothed head secured to a handle by means of asuitable forked shank, an auto matic cleaning attachment comprising an elongated stripper platehaving a series of i1 aligned apertures for accommodating the teeth of the rake, the outer, longitudinal edge of said stripper plate projecting for some distance outwardly from the rake head for engagement with the ground,a resilient con nection, yokethe arms of which are downwardly turned at their outerportions and connected attheir extremities with'the outer longitudinal edge of said stripper plate, said yokeihaving a V-shaped inner end and an attachment bracket comprising a pair of cooperating clamping plates having diverging inturned flangesfor cooperatively surrounding the forked portion of the shank of the rake head anda single clamping bolteXtending substantially perpendicularly through said cooperating clamping plates andpassing through the, V-shaped portion of there I silient yoke to retain said yoke against longitudinal displacement, said bolt also being operative to draw said clamping plates-together. '7

. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature;

. Y CHARLES F. REITERL 

